NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Tuesday, July 8, 2025

Episode Date: July 9, 2025

Texas officials pressed about lack of county-wide siren warning system; 10-year-old camper shares story of escape from Camp Mystic; Trump unloads on Putin, promises more military aid for Ukraine; and more on tonight’s broadcast.

Tonight, the staggering new numbers announced by the governor of Texas, more than 100 dead and 161 still missing. Armies of crews working the riverbed in that Texas heat. The new view from above showing the scope of the wreckage. Tonight, local officials being pressed, why did one of the most heavily flooded regions in the country never get a warning system and could it have saved lives? Plus, the return to Camp Mystic, the new images of what was left behind. We meet the mother and her daughter who somehow made it out and the haunting photo of 13 campers

and counselors just days earlier all swept away. Plus the life-threatening flash flood emergency in New Mexico right now along a burn scar. The National Weather Service warning people to get to higher ground now. It comes after a Boys and Girls Club was evacuated in Oklahoma after seven inches of rain, plus the death toll rising in North Carolina and the new system drenching the East Coast. Also breaking tonight, all airports nationwide will no longer make you take off your shoes when you go through checkpoints, the new TSA protocols, the Epstein files. After years of demands for answers and internet conspiracy theories, top justice officials

now say Jeffrey Epstein did not keep an incriminating client list. We'll show you the video of his prison cell the night he died and what President Trump said about Epstein today. Arming Ukraine, the Pentagon halted some weapon shipments to that country, but now the president announcing they're sending them again as he blasts President Putin for quote BS on wanting peace. And when dozens of kids hit the dirt to run the bases after a ball game, this 85-year-old grandfather and veteran

was not going to be left out. This is NBC Nightly News with Tom Yamares. And good evening. Tonight frustration in Texas as the death toll there rises to 109 with at least 161 still missing. New video showing the widespread devastation with mud for miles and miles. Look at that. And from the ground, Camp Mystic in ruins. This chilling photo showing 13 Camp Mystic campers and two counselors

just days before their entire cabin was swept away. And more heartbreaking images showing that destructive water line. The mud cake mattresses as you look closely and the overturned trunks telling only part of the story. Officials in Texas are facing tough questions right now over Kirk County's flood emergency alert system or lack of it. With new reporting that an upgrade to the alert system was discussed but never implemented. We've got our team across it all tonight. We begin with Priscilla Thompson in Kerrville, Texas. This was my house and the front porch was here.

Ricky Ray Robertson lost nearly everything, but with at least 109 people now confirmed dead and more than 160 still missing from these catastrophic floods, Robertson counts himself among the fortunate. Last night, there was a man and a woman about 11 o'clock here and they were looking for their daughter. I can rebuild the house.

They lost a little girl. He says local officials drove down his street early that morning, blasting sirens. They woke you up. Yes, ma'am. But many here say they weren't properly alerted when floodwaters began to rapidly rise early on the 4th of July. Officials today pressed by reporters about the response. What happened? When did it happen?

Was the emergency manager awake at the time? Did they push the button to issue an emergency alert? Sir, it's not that easy when you just push a button, okay? There's a lot more to that. And we've told you several times. Texas Governor Greg Abbott said the state was prepared. We were ready. And if you heard a flash flood warning, no one would know that that would be a 30-foot-high tsunami wall of water. One thing Kerr County doesn't have, a countywide siren system.

Former County Commissioner Tom Moser says he proposed adding one in the wake of a 2015 flood. There was an objection to sirens because of false alarms. Do you think sirens could have saved lives here? Most likely so, yes. Yes, I'm confident they could have. About 20 miles away in the town of Comfort, This is the sound residents heard as the fast moving water rose. It was late morning there when many people were already awake.

The town, which had recently installed a new alarm, had zero fatalities. Daniel Morales pushed for the sirens. It makes me feel good that I was able to do that. You know, and then I'm part of it. Ricky Ray Robertson says he wishes they'd had the same system in Kerr County. Do you think a universal siren would have made a difference? Yeah, absolutely. Let's pick it up right there, Priscilla. Is there talk now of adding a siren system in made a difference. Yeah, absolutely. Let's pick

it up right there. Priscilla is there talk now of adding a siren system in the wake of this disaster? Yeah, Tom, there is as this community continues to grapple with this massive cleanup and recovery effort, the governor is vowing to implement new systems so that this doesn't happen again. Tom Priscilla Thompson leading us off search and rescue teams are continuing to painstakingly sift through debris, looking for any signs of survivors.

For more, here's Morgan Chesky. Tonight, with more than 160 missing in the Texas Hill Country, We have another search party down there. tireless search and rescue teams fighting their latest challenge, time. And that is the sound that is really nonstop, even on day five here on the banks of the Guadalupe River, these search crews still going.

Today Governor Abbott surveyed the damage at Camp Mystic from the air. We will not stop until every missing person is accounted for. The sheriff says five campers and one counselor are still unaccounted for. As we learn more about the young girls who lost their lives there. Blakely McCrory, Hadley, Hannah, Lenny McCown and Mary Stevens were all just eight years old.

This harrowing photo showing one cabin of girls. Several now confirmed dead when Kennedy returned to Camp Mystic on Sunday and took these pictures. A glimpse of what her 10 year old daughter Lucy and her fellow campers went through. That's Lucy's bunk bed surrounded by debris. Tiny clothes still hang in a closet where the water line is several feet high.

You can see it again here in the girl's shower. Lucy says she woke up that night to rain and thunder. People from different cabins started coming to our porch and yelling, like like wake up and go to Rec Hall because there's a flood. How would you describe that four-hour window where you didn't know how Lucy was? I mean just the longest four hours of my life. Lucy says when the sun rose they drove to another camp where they were eventually evacuated by helicopter. When I saw her she was wrapped up in a blanket and had a teddy bear so we just held each other tight and I held her all night you know and just so grateful to God. Morgan

Chesky NBC News, Kerrville Texas. And there are new severe weather threats all over the map look at this wall of water in New Mexico the National Weather Service warning a flash flood emergency after a river rose 13 ft in two hours. Let's get right to Camila Bernal with the latest a river of floodwater rushing through Redosu, New Mexico. This home swept away intact before beginning to break apart as it smashed into trees. Kaitlyn Carpenter watched as her friend's house washed away before her eyes. It was terrifying honestly I was not expecting that. It was I was really shaken up. The river rose nearly 13 feet in a little over two hours. Rescues are

underway with several people already brought to safety. We're completely compromised. We are all backing out of the water's way. The National Weather Service issuing a severe thunderstorm warning at 3 45 local time later cautioning seek higher ground. Now the current will carry away your vehicle. The village, particularly vulnerable after wildfires in the area last year. Just a couple of weeks ago, a flash flood swept through a burn scar there where tonight once again there's a frantic search to make sure everyone is accounted for. Camila Bernal, NBC News. We're also following breaking news tonight at airports across the country. For the first time

in nearly 20 years, the TSA will allow airline passengers to keep their shoes on effective immediately. Here's Tom Costello. It's a major security shift at TSA checkpoints nationwide. Effective immediately, all passengers can keep their shoes on. No need to screen them separately. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem says 94% of passengers now have real IDs, improving identity confirmation,

and TSA procedures and checkpoints have improved. We've added new scanners, new technologies, more TSO officers in some areas. The TSA began screening shoes for explosives in 2006 after shoe bomber Richard Reed attempted to blow up a flag from Paris to Miami in 2001. While pre-checked passengers have been able to leave their shoes on, removing shoes has been a top complaint among all passengers.

For women it's like, ew, I don't want to touch the floor. In December we saw how detecting explosives is still a top priority at the TSA range in Huntsville. This is what's left, the piece of a shoe and the handle from a suitcase. The bottom line is this would have been catastrophic and the TSA and the FBI continue to focus on mitigating the threat of potentially catastrophic explosives. Security experts believe the terror threat remains real even as new technology provides better detection and shoes stay on. Secretary Noem says TSA pre-check will still be valuable for passengers who

don't want to remove their laptops and Sheehan says passenger safety will not be compromised. Tom? All right Tom Costello for us. Now to the White House and President Trump lashing out at Vladimir Putin as the president announced he's sending more weapons to Ukraine days after the Pentagon had paused shipments. Gabe Gutierrez is at the White House. Tonight, as the fighting in Ukraine intensifies with the largest Russian airstrikes of the war underway, the Trump administration is reversing course, sending more weapons to Ukraine and growing

increasingly frustrated with Vladimir Putin. We get a lot of bullsh** thrown at us by Putin for you want to know the truth. It's a dramatic shift in tone for the president after years of praising the Russian leader. I said he was a strong leader, which he is. And months after erupting in anger against Ukrainian President Zelensky. You don't have the cards right now. The new reversal comes after President Trump spoke with Putin and Zelensky by phone last week, just days after the Pentagon held up a shipment of U.S. weapons for Ukraine, citing

concerns about low stockpiles. That decision blindsided the State Department and European allies, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the matter. It's not clear who ordered the pause. Putin is not treating human beings right. He's killing too many people. So we're sending some defensive weapons to Ukraine, and I've approved that. So who ordered the pause last week?

I don't know. Why don't you tell me? The Kremlin said today sending more U.S. weapons is not in line with attempts to promote a peaceful settlement. The Kremlin said today sending more U.S. weapons is not in line with attempts to promote a peaceful settlement. On the campaign trail, Trump frequently bragged he could end the war in Ukraine in one day. Within 24 hours. A claim he later said was sarcasm.

Now his patience with Putin appears to be wearing thin. He's very nice all the time, but it turns out to be meaningless. And Gabe, you've also been following this story about Secretary of State Marco Rubio being impersonated with the use of AI? Yes, Tom. According to the State Department cable obtained by NBC News, an unknown person or group using AI impersonated Secretary Rubio to contact at least five high level government officials last month.

The fake Rubio reached out to at least three foreign ministers, a U.S. governor and a member of Congress. The State Department is now investigating why. Tom? Okay, Gabe, we thank you for that. Jeffrey Epstein was awaiting trial and sex trafficking charges when he took his own life in a federal prison back in 2019. His death fueling a wave of conspiracy theories the Department of Justice is now trying to put to rest. Stephanie Goss has that story.

President Trump not happy getting a Jeffrey Epstein question at the White House today. And are people still talking about this guy, this creep? On Monday the DOJ released this video of Epstein's federal jail cell the night the disgraced financier died, but the time code jumps just before midnight. Attorney General Pam Bondi explaining. And what we learned from Bureau of Prisons was every night the video is reset, and every night should have the same minute missing.

Together with the video, the DOJ issued an undated and unsigned memo confirming Epstein died by suicide, and that he did not have a client list to traffic underage girls. The statement and the video triggering backlash from normally loyal Trump allies. Right-wing influencer Laura Loomer once bondi-fired Alex Jones saying, no one is buying this. The DOJ is attempting to debunk conspiracy theories that have swirled since Epstein's death in 2019, spread in part by some administration officials, including now

deputy FBI director Dan Bongino. That apparently 170 plus people on his client list may be outed in the coming days. In February, Bondi was asked on Fox News about a possible client list. It's sitting on my desk right now to review. That's been a directive by President Trump. Bondee responding to that appearance today. And my response was, it's sitting on my desk to be reviewed, meaning the file along with the JFK, MLK files as well.

Helping fuel the backlash Elon Musk in June he alleged President Trump was named in the Epstein files later deleting the post. The president has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. Tonight Musk hammering the administration questioning how it can be trusted. For now it seems an attempt to put the conspiracies to rest is having the opposite effect. Stephanie Gossk, NBC News. And we will be right back with the rising risk of liver damage linked to some of those popular supplements.

One woman's warning after she saw our report, she credits with saving her life. We'll explain next. We're back with the rise of liver injuries tied to those popular supplements and how our reporting changed one woman's life. Are Emily Oketa with that story that could change yours too? I was noticing like just a hint of yellowness. 57-year-old Katie Mohan thought she was doing everything right. She ate healthy foods, exercised regularly, and when she wanted to reduce inflammation

and wrist pain, she added a tumor supplement to her routine, but she felt worse and within 2 and a half months was in the ER. I've never had a health scare like this never. She said it was our reporting on supplement induced liver injuries that made her prioritize getting to a doctor. It felt nauseous. injuries that made her prioritize getting to a doctor.

It felt nauseous. I started itching. Mohan had similar symptoms. Just a light bulb went up off in my head and I said, oh, my gosh, I wonder if this is what's wrong with me. What do you think would have happened if you didn't come across our report? I don't even want to think about what could have happened. Who knows if I'd be sitting here today. Well, this is very alarming.

Her liver enzymes had reached 60 times normal levels, according to her hepatologist. It was very serious. It was just one step before significant liver damage necessitating transplant evaluation. While still rare, numerous studies show cases like Mohan's are on the rise, and turmeric's

suspected role has increased markedly. I think when people hear liver damage, they might think of, okay, alcohol could be playing a role, maybe acetaminophen, but supplements, I don't think that comes to top of mind for people. You are absolutely right, because the misconception is that herbal products are absolutely innocent Katie got this turmeric along with black pepper that increases the levels of them and these in green in the blood. There's limited regulation and research around herbal

supplements in particular so well, him was taking what the bottle told her her doctor says that more than 2200 milligrams of turmeric extract. it was way too much I had no idea like that I could cause that much harm that quickly to my body. Now sharing her experience and the chance it could impact one other life the way this story she says touched hers. It potentially saved my life. Emily Ikeda, NBC News, New York.

Up next, the fireworks disaster, the new video from one of the dangerous explosions during a volatile July 4th holiday weekend. Stay with us. We are back now with a major development from the Supreme Court allowing the Trump administration to move forward with plans to slash the federal workforce. A California judge has said the president couldn't do a major reorganization of the executive branch without working with Congress, but today's announcement clears the way for mass firings at nearly two dozen departments while the case proceeds in the lower courts. Now to the heat wave in Europe where firefighters in southern France are battling a massive blaze

that's closed the airport in that city, the second largest in France. And those wanting to visit one of Greece's most iconic attractions were out of luck for part of today as the Acropolis was temporarily closed because of those blistering temperatures. And there's new video of yet another fireworks disaster over the 4th of July weekend, this time in Michigan. Dashcam video released by state police shows fireworks shooting in all directions and golfing a tent in smoke. Police are still looking for any information on who started this. Okay, up next, there's good news tonight. The grandfather who couldn't pass up an

opportunity to feel like a kid again. It's a moment after a ball game that so many families look forward to when kids can take to the field to run the bases. There's good news tonight about one grandfather who decided to join the fun. Playing now comes home. When the Peoria Chiefs wrapped up their final inning one recent July night, fans had no idea what they were about to see. As the team invited the crowd to run the bases, one grandpa had no idea what they were about to see. As the team invited the crowd to run the bases,

one grandpa had an idea. I was with my whole family and I said, I'd like to kind of like to do that. 85 year old Tom Persich bouncing back from a hip replacement took to the field. When you started running the bases, what do you remember thinking? I'm thinking, I don't want to pass up this moment.

I feel like a kid again. I really did. Right by his side, his grandson pushing him along. I was just trying to make sure that he wasn't going to end up on the ground. All I could think was my grandma, Minnie, was going to be very upset if that man ended up on the dirt somehow.

Tom took his time, but didn't give up. You see, for this former paratrooper, taking risks and challenging yourself has always been a part of his life. From raising kids, grandkids, and now nine great grandkids, Tom, who has been known to still dance on chairs at weddings, lives his life like he wants to.

If I rest, I rust. I try to keep in shape and enjoy every moment. Back on the diamond, Tom was the last to finish, but everyone stayed to watch and cheer as this grandpa made it all the way home. When you got the touch home plate, what did you think? I did it. I got one more time around. I got to live my life again like in a flash. It was just awesome. It was a heck of a feeling. Hope I can round those bases at 85. That's Nightly News for this Tuesday.

I'm Tom Yamas. Thanks so much for watching. Tonight and always, we're here for you. Good night.